Stay ConnectedThe Business of Fashion has gained a global following as an essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs in over 200 countries. It is frequently described as “indispensable,” “required reading” and “an addiction.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Copyright: © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Condé Nast Britain’s chief business officer speaks with purpose and intuition coach Mory Fontanez about leading as an outsider in the modern workplace.
Background:
In 2017, Vanessa Kingori became British Vogue’s first female publishing director. Since then, she has become a mother, received an MBE and stepped into the additional role of chief business officer of Condé Nast Britain.
At BoF VOICES 2021, Kingori shared her leadership lessons with Mory Fontanez, purpose and intuition coach and founder of consultancy 822 Group. They discussed the importance of trusting intuition in the workplace to bolster data-driven decisions while also challenging conformity to allow for creativity.
“With the wonderful thing that is hindsight, I’ve realised it’s okay to be intuitive,” said Kingori. “It’s actually great to lean into your differences rather than try to push to assimilate too much.”
Key Insights:
BoF VOICES, our annual gathering for big thinkers, returns from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, 2023. The entire event will be livestreamed for BoF Professional All-Access members. Register now to join us.
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The South Sudanese model reflects on her path from a Kenyan refugee camp to travelling the globe as an international top model.
Background:
South Sudanese model Adut Akech has made her mark on fashion, having appeared on countless international magazine covers and on the runway for brands including Chanel and Prada. But Akech’s story begins worlds away from fashion shows and Vogue cover shoots: The model was born while her family was fleeing war in South Sudan and spent her early years in a Kenyan refugee camp.
"I will always be a refugee, because that's who I am," she told BoF's editor-at-large Tim Blanks on stage at BoF VOICES in 2018. "No amount of money or my status or how famous or whatever the case is... I'm always going to be a refugee and I'm proud of who I am."
This week on The BoF Podcast, revisit Akech and Blanks’ conversation, where they discuss Akech’s childhood and journey to the fashion industry.
Key Insights:
BoF VOICES, our annual gathering for big thinkers, returns from November 28 to November 30, 2023, uniting the movers, shakers and trailblazers of the fashion industry with the thought leaders, entrepreneurs and inspiring people shaping the wider world. The entire event will be livestreamed for BoF Professional All-Access members. Register now to join us.
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christian Louboutin opens up to Rozan Ahmed at BoF VOICES 2021 about identity, passion and building a brand worth $2.7 billion from the ground up.
Background:
Christian Louboutin’s iconic red-soled stilettos have made him one of fashion’s most recognisable names. But few know the story of the multi-faceted man behind the Christian Louboutin brand.
Louboutin spoke with writer and cultural activist Rozan Ahmed at BoF VOICES 2021 about how his identity and upbringing have shaped how he approaches business. A major factor in understanding that identity was Louboutin’s discovery later in life that he was actually the child of his French mother and her Egyptian lover.
“To belong to different cultures, to different places makes you understand from the very beginning that the world has a lot of different points of view,” Louboutin said. “When you have different ethnicities, different cultures you’re not divided, you’re multiplied.”
Key Insights:
BoF VOICES, our annual gathering for big thinkers, returns from November 28 to November 30, 2023, uniting the movers, shakers and trailblazers of the fashion industry with the thought leaders, entrepreneurs and inspiring people shaping the wider world. The entire event will be livestreamed for BoF Professional All-Access members. Register now to join us.
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with the men's creative director of Louis Vuitton to discuss his journey into the luxury industry and his plans for the world’s largest luxury brand.
Background:
Pharrell Williams has been part of the global cultural consciousness for the better part of two decades as a rapper, songwriter and music producer. But earlier this year, when he was named men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton, his career took on a whole new trajectory.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Williams joins BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss his new vision for luxury at Louis Vuitton as part of a BoF 500 cover story, examining his journey into the luxury industry, his vision for Louis Vuitton and how he is thinking about stepping into the shoes of his predecessor Virgil Abloh.
“He has giant shoes for one to try to fill. But that's not what I'm here to do. I'm not here to fill my brother's shoes. My brother's shoes are his shoes. And the steps that he took are his steps. And I would never want to get in the way of that.”
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BoF’s editor-at-large and founder and editor-in-chief look back at the key moments of fashion month, from Sabato de Sarno’s debut at Gucci to Sarah Burton’s farewell show for Alexander McQueen.
Background:
This season, fashion month saw several highly-anticipated debuts (Sabato de Sarno at Gucci, and Peter Hawkings at Tom Ford) as well as goodbyes (Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, Fabio Zambernardi at Prada and Miu Miu, and Gabriela Hearst at Chloé). But, beyond those headline-making moments, the highlights included the slyness and humour at Prada where models walked down a runway against a backdrop of dripping slime, the spine-tingling soundtrack at Dries Van Noten and models at JW Anderson in plasticine-made hoodies.
“The best shows make you think and make you feel a little uncomfortable or they evoke some kind of emotion — but they also make you want to shop,” says Imran Amed, BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief.
Following the conclusion of Paris Fashion Week, Amed sat down with BoF’s editor-at-large Tim Blanks to discuss the highlights of the Spring/Summer 2024 season and the hallmarks of a great fashion show.
Key Insights:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tom Ford’s new creative director opens up to Imran Amed about his progression in the fashion industry and his first womenswear collection for the brand.
Background:
When Tom Ford started his namesake brand in 2004, his longtime deputy at Gucci Peter Hawkings was his first call — and his first employee. Fast-forward to April 2023, Hawkings’ phone rang again. Only this time, Ford said he was stepping down and putting Hawkings forward for the top job.
“I didn't sleep for the first two nights. It was crazy,” Hawkings said of his reaction to the news that he would step into his longtime boss’ shoes and become creative director of the eponymous brand he created. “But after all of that subsided, I realised that Tom [Ford] was giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. And I am, to this day, super grateful to him for giving me this chance to continue the legacy.”
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Hawkings, the new creative director of Tom Ford following his runway debut at Milan Fashion Week to discuss his origins and journey into the fashion industry — and his plans to continue the Tom Ford legacy.
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks toveteran modelling agentChris Gay to understand the shifting power dynamics in the modelling industry and how models can build a career that stands the test of time.
Background:
In the sometimes fickle and murky world of fashion modelling, the most successful models are taking control of their careers by bypassing the gatekeepers and creating direct relationships with customers, building and engaging their own fanbase.
“If you want real longevity in this business, you need to be building your community. It’s community that creates staying power,” says Chris Gay, co-chief executive officer of Elite World Group and president of The Society Management, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Gay sits down with BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed to discuss the shifting power dynamics in the modelling industry and why developing a point-of-view, something that a model becomes known for, is the key to long-term success.
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As London Fashion Week kicks off, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with four London-based creative talents to explore how the city’s rich creative scene stems from its unique cultural diversity and the sense of community and collaboration this provides.
Background:
With over 300 languages spoken within its city limits — more than any other metropolis — London has cemented its place among the world’s most global cities. This has boosted its reputation not only as a creative hub, but also as a source of inspiration for creatives around the world working in sectors from fashion and media to music and art.
“London has a rich Diasporic culture, and it's where… you have the opportunity to build a community around you,” says fashion designer Jawara Alleyne. “London, being such a vast city, gives that space [for] these multiple different cultures that are existing on top of each other and inspiring each other and feeding off of each other.”
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed chats with four exciting Londoners shaping the city’s creative scene.
Alleyne joins conceptual artist Amber Pinkerton, musician Bradley Miller and Dazed editorial director Kacion Mayers to discuss their experiences of living, working and creating in London and to hear their advice for other creatives looking for their big break.
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The founder of the streetwear sensation broke into fashion thanks not only to his steely determination and breakthrough creative ideas, but also the unwavering support of the community he built from the ground up.
Background:
Within a decade, Colm Dillane, the New York-based founder and designer of streetwear label KidSuper, went from selling T-shirts to fellow students out of his New York University dorm room to winning the the Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize at the LVMH Prize in 2021 and designing a one-off menswear collection for Louis Vuitton.
But it wasn’t a straight shot to success. The now 32-year-old has had to learn the ropes of fashion the hard way, maxing out his bank account, taking risk after risk to figure out how to transform his creativity into a bonafide business.
Through it all, Dillane has focused on community-building as an end goal.
“It's always funny when brands reach out to me and they're like, ‘We love the community you created’. I would always be like, ‘They're creating community to sell product. I was selling product to create community. What are you doing this for? If it's not to meet interesting people?” says Dillane.
This week on The BoF Podcast, BoF founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed sits down with Dillane to discuss his journey as a designer and his lessons for emerging fashion designers and entrepreneurs.
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ahead of New York Fashion Week, The Washington Post’s Rachel Tashjian speaks with BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed about how the industry is changing post-pandemic.
Background:
There's a good reason why New York Fashion Week isn’t the all important agenda-setter it once was, according to Rachel Tashjian, a fashion writer for The Washington Post. US consumers, she says, now take their fashion cues from influencers and social media as much as they do the runway. “Some of the more interesting things happening in American fashion are just outside of fashion week,” says Tashjian. “I just wonder if American designers feel like, is this [New York Fashion Week] really worth it for me to be doing? Is this where my audience is?”
This week on The BoF Podcast, Imran Amed, BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief, sits down with Tashjian to discuss her perspective on the state of the fashion industry today and her expectations for the evolution of NYFW in a post-Covid world.
Key Insights:
Additional Resources:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
